Bracket Briefing: 8 bold predictions heading into the Sweet 16

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The Virginia Cavaliers bench celebrates against against the Memphis Tigers during the second half of a men's college basketball game during the third round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament at PNC Arena.(Photo: Rob Kinnan, USA TODAY Sports)

Story Highlights

Florida is riding a 28-game winning steak but faces a tough test against UCLA

Louisville has reached the Sweet 16 but isn't as strong as it was last season

Virginia runs one of the most unique, slow-paced offenses in the country and is set to battle Michigan State

There are some folks with their brackets still in good shape — meaning they likely had Florida, Arizona, Louisville and Michigan State in their Final Four. Because that's gutsy. Hardly. Here's a look at eight bold predictions that will continue to make March flat-out maddening.

1. Florida won't win it all: The favorite (Louisville) won it last year, and the Gators have looked the part of an overall No. 1 seed in their first two tournament snoozers. But that doesn't mean Florida isn't vulnerable. Yes, the SEC has three teams in the Sweet 16, and the ACC has one. Does that mean the SEC is better than the ACC top to bottom? No. It means that there are three strong teams in Florida, Kentucky and Tennessee, some of whom had favorable matchups to reach the Sweet 16. And advancing in the NCAA tournament is often about matchups. Which brings us back to the Gators, riding a 28-game winning streak. UCLA will be a tough matchup for Billy Donovan's veteran team.

Steve Alford's offense has been highly efficient, and the Bruins have been flourishing since knocking off an equally talented Arizona squad in the Pac-12 tournament title game. Florida's defense is incredibly frustrating for opponents because of how it stifles the opponent's flow. The Bruins' potent offense, spearheaded by 6-9 point guard Kyle Anderson and explosive scorer Jordan Adams, has the ability to counter that. And if Florida's one-point win against Kentucky in the SEC tournament final was any indication of how the Gators will fare against a high-octane offense, it spells trouble. Additionally, Florida has looked uncomfortable late in some games.

(Photo: Andy Lyons, Getty Images)

2. Louisville will crumble: The Cardinals cruised through the American Athletic Conference tournament, beating a team by 61 points, and suddenly emerged as a sleeper Final Four pick heading into the NCAA tournament. Yet after two sloppy games, a tough second-round matchup vs. Manhattan and a low-scoring defensive war vs. Saint Louis, it is rather difficult to be confident. The defending champs aren't nearly as good as they were last year. Last year top catalyst Russ Smith's job was to score, but Peyton Siva got him his shots as an elite, unselfish point guard.

This year there are much bigger demands on Louisville's best player, who went a combined 6-for-19 in two games in Orlando. If teams read the scouting report accurately, it goes something like this: Limit Smith, make others beat you. Montrezl Harrell has been a nice replacement for Gorgui Dieng and Luke Hancock has improved since last season, but there isn't the same depth and point guard Chris Jones doesn't give Smith the same type of luxury in relieving pressure.

3. Kentucky will be the best-finishing SEC team: The Wildcats' upset victory vs. Wichita State can seriously be misunderstood. Forget that the Shockers came from a mid-major conference: Kentucky beat a team that was likely to reach the Final Four, with potential to win it all. It appears the Wildcats are coming together. All season, Calipari has been frustrated with the lack of hustle and cohesion. Could those issues be in the past? That seems to be the case.

Julius Randle is still playing with a tenaciousness that injects life into the team, Andrew and Aaron Harrison are playing smarter and shooting well and the group's maturity progression is night and day compared to the product we saw in November. There's never been any question of whether the pieces were there for a championship. It's always been about how and when those pieces come together.

4. Virginia will beat Michigan State: Here are two words to consider when trying to figure out No. 1 seed Virginia: Unselfish and patient. That's coach Tony Bennett's strict offense in a nutshell. Michigan State and Virginia run sagging man-to-man defenses that fluster opponents. And coach Tom Izzo is quick to credit UVa as "one of the best defensive teams in the country" based on the team yielding a nation-low 55.5 points per game. But it's on offense where the Cavaliers have an edge. That's not to say Virginia has any player with the same capability as an Adreian Payne or Gary Harris. But there are no me guys wearing navy and orange, and that goes a long way when most offenses have a tendency to get rushed during key spurts of the game. There's no arguing Michigan State isn't playing good basketball. But overlooking this Virginia team would be a mistake.

(Photo: Spruce Derden and Casey Sapio, USA TODAY Sports)

5. Archie Miller will finish as good or better than Sean Miller: Whoa. We said bold, right? It's a sweet time for Archie and Sean Miller as the brothers are both coaching in the Sweet 16. Needless to say, it wasn't expected that Archie Miller's Dayton Flyers would be joining the Arizona Wildcats in the second weekend of the tournament. In order for Archie to finish even or better than Sean, Dayton has to beat Stanford. That's a winnable game against another double-digit seed. That scenario would also mean Arizona falls to San Diego State in the Sweet 16 or Wisconsin/Baylor in the Elite Eight. Both are possibilities. The Aztecs played Arizona solidly in November when they hosted the Wildcats in San Diego, but doing so on a neutral court might be a little tougher ... even though that neutral court will be in nearby Anaheim. And if Arizona advances, Wisconsin is a team that has the offensive weaponry and defensive wherewithal to knock the Wildcats out of the NCAAs.

6. Wisconsin will reach the Final Four: Bo Ryan has one of his most potent, gifted offensive teams that he's ever coached — led by forwards Sam Dekker and Frank Kaminsky and guards Ben Brust and Traevon Jackson. That won't be the key in Wisconsin reaching the Final Four, though. The key is on the defensive end, where the Badgers are always sound. The best offensive teams in this tournament — Creighton and Duke, for instance — are at home watching. The best defensive teams are still playing. If Wisconsin's Big Ten record says anything, it's that this offensively gifted squad can win when shots aren't falling.

7. Shabazz Napier will outduel DeAndre Kane: All right, this one isn't so bold. The best part about this matchup Thursday is that it will feature the players with the two best individual performances through the first two games. Outside of Doug McDermott, Napier has been playing like the national player of the year. The do-everything guard has 49 points in leading UConn past Saint Joseph's and Villanova. Meanwhile, Kane has been equally as important to his team's advancement, shown mostly in his 24-point, 10-rebound performance to lift Iowa State by North Carolina in a come-from-behind victory.

8. A non-All-American will win Most Outstanding Player again: Last year, Luke Hancock won the Most Outstanding Player in the Final Four. He was the definition of a role player but stepped up in key situations. Here's a rundown of each team's X-Factor player who could follow in Hancock's footsteps should they win the title.

WORDS OF THE DAY: "We've played against the Dukes and certainly Carolina, the storied programs ... but ... this is a team that is playing its best basketball and is perhaps the best team we've faced this year. That should excite you, it should be a caution to you, a warning to how good you've got to be. And you just step into that game with as much as boldness as you can and as much soundness in your mind as you can and get ready to play." — Virginia coach Tony Bennett on his team's Friday matchup against Michigan State.

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1) Scottie Wilbekin, Florida: Surprised? You shouldn't be. The SEC Player of the Year injects life in this veteran-laden Florida team. The floor general is the driving force behind the Gators' 28-game winning streak.
Kim Klement, USA TODAY Sports

2) T.J. McConnell, Arizona: Surprised again? Don't be. Nick Johnson might be the Wildcats' best offensive player and Aaron Gordon has NBA talent, but McConnell orchestrates Sean Miller's offense to perfection, leads vocally and by example and gives 'Zona the key ingredient it's been missing for a long time as a true, pass-first point guard.
Casey Sapio, USA TODAY Sports

3) Kyle Anderson, UCLA: The 6-9 point guard is the main reason for the Bruins' success, which has included two convincing NCAA tournament wins and a Pac-12 tournament championship. He can do it all for UCLA, and it wouldn't be insane to predict a triple-double from Anderson.
Christopher Hanewinckel, USA TODAY Sports

4) DeAndre Kane, Iowa State: Let's just get this out of the way: Big Daddy Kane is the truth. He had 24 points and 10 rebounds in Iowa State's come-from-behind victory against North Carolina in which Kane made a game-winning lay-up.
Kevin Jairaj, USA TODAY Sports

5) Shabazz Napier, UConn: He's undoubtedly the reason the Huskies are in the Sweet 16. The senior guard had 25 points in UConn's upset win against Villanova following his 24-point, 8-rebound, 6-assist performance to lift UConn past St. Joe's in the second round.
Mark Konezny, USA TODAY Sports

6) Nik Stauskas, Michigan: The sharp-shooting sophomore is one of the best scorers in the country — scoring off the ball and off the dribble. He also can create for others, shown in his 17 points and eight assists vs. Texas.
Jeff Hanisch, USA TODAY Sports

8) Julius Randle, Kentucky: The Wildcats' double-double machine has been compared to a "pit bull" by coach John Calipari for his tenaciousness on both sides of the ball. He's Kentucky's most important player, even if he's not leading the team in scoring.
Scott Rovak, USA TODAY Sports

9) Russ Smith, Louisville: The senior guard has toned down his Russdiculousness this season and has been more patient offensively, creating for others more and turning it over less. Oh, and he's pretty good at putting the ball in the basket, too.
Kim Klement, USA TODAY Sports

10) Nick Johnson, Arizona: The junior guard is a great scorer and has been hitting big shot after big shot for the Wildcats en route to player of the year consideration. He's had 35 points in Arizona's two NCAA tournament games.
Christopher Hanewinckel, USA TODAY Sports

Ohio State Buckeyes guard Aaron Craft (4) reacts after missing a game ending shot in the second half of a men's college basketball game against the Dayton Flyers during the second round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament at First Niagara Center.
Mark Konezny, USA TODAY Sports

Colorado Buffaloes guard Xavier Talton (3) reacts during the second half of a men's college basketball game against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the second round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament at Amway Center.
Kim Klement, USA TODAY Sports

American University Eagles guard John Schoof (22) sits on the bench as the clock winds down during the second round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament against the Wisconsin Badgers at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Wisconsin defeated American University 75-35.
Jeff Hanisch, USA TODAY Sports